Attachment for animal-traps.



B. A. SHAW.

ATTACHMENT FOR ANIMAL TRAPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUHB 28. 1910.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

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BRUCE A. SHAW, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

ATTACHMENT FOR ANIMAL-TRAPS.

sear-s55.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 19111.

Application filed June 28, 1910. Serial No. 569,349.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRUCE A. SHAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Animal- Traps,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in animal traps and hasparticular reference to an attachment for securing the trap to asuitable support.

The device is particularly intended for use with traps for catchinganimals which inhabit the banks of rivers and streams and is soconstructed that the animal after being trapped, and plunging into thewater as it invariably does will be prevented from again moving the trapto the bank to get its head above water and extricating itself bygnawing off its legs.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more fullyhereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain noveldetails of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims; it being understoodthat various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details ofthe device may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification:Figure 1. is a perspective view of the device showing the same inoperative position and also showing the trap in set position. Fig. 2 isa similar view showing the position of the trap after the same hasengaged the animal and the latter plunged into the water.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout.

The trap which is shown to be of the well-known jaw-type is designatedby the numeral 5 and is provided with the usual chain 6 the latterhaving at its free end a ring 7.

The device forming part of the subject matter of the present inventionis shown to comprise a length of wire or cable desig nated by thenumeral 8. One end of the cable is provided with an eye or loop 9, whileprising jaws 18.

the opposite end is provided with an en larged eye or loop 10 of greaterdiameter than the diameter of the ring 7 carried by the chain (3.

hat will subsequently be termed a keeper is designated in general by thenumeral 11. This member is preferably formed of a single piece of sheetmetal triangular in contour and medially provided with a pair of spacedopenings through which the cable 8 is inserted before the loops at theends thereof are formed. The keeper is so positioned on the cable thatits base end will be presented toward that end of the wire on which theenlarged loop 10 is formed. A recess 12 is formed in the base of thekeeper, the sides of this recess lying beyond opposite sides of the wireand com- The width of the base end of the keeper is a trifle less thanthe diameter of the ring 7, so that the ring may be passed over thekeeper when nioved toward that end of the wire provided with theenlarged loop 10.

In the use of the device the ring 7 is passed over the wire and a stakeor other support 14 is passed through the smaller loop 9 at one end ofthe wire, and the stake driven in the bottom of the stream and at apoint adjacent to the bank. A suitable weight or sinker 15 is secured tothe enlarged eye or loop 10 and the sinker is thrown into the stream andoutwardly from the stake 14. Vhen the parts are so positioned the trap 5is moved to the proper position on the bank, while the keeper 13 isadjusted so that it will occupy a position adjacent to the sinker 15.When an animal enters the trap and then plunges with the latter into thestream the ring 7 will move along the cable 8 and over the keeper 13.When the animal at-- tempts to return, however, and moves the ring 7toward the stake 141 one part of the said ring will enter the recess 12and engage with one of the jaws, thus the animal will be prevented frommoving the trap to the shore and will be eventually drowned.

It will be observed, in the event of the these so arranged that thedanger of derangement will be reduced to a minimum.

I claim 1. A device for securing animal traps comprising a cableinsertible through the ring of'the trap chain, and having its oppositeends adapted to be secured to spaced supports, a keeper on the cable ofa size perinit the ring of the trap chain to pass thereover when thesaid ring is moved toward one end of the cable, the said keeper beingprovided at one end with means to positively engage the said ring whenthe latter is moved toward the opposite end of the cable.

- 2. A device for securing animal traps comprising a cable insertiblethrough a ring of the trap chain and terminating at its oppo site endsin eyes one of which is of greater diameter than the ring of the trapchain and both of said eyes being engageable by spaced L supports, akeeper on the cable and located adjacent to one end thereof, the saidkeeper being of a size somewhat less than the ring of the trap chain topermit the said ring to pass thereover when moved toward one end of thecable, the said keeper being provided on one end with a recess toreceive the ring of the trap chain when the latter is moved toward theopposite end of the cable.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DICK R. LANE, AGNES PRESTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

